The Lion of Punjab has found his roar. And he is not holding back. Admittedly, this comes rather late in the day for a man whose political career has spanned more than 30 years. But be that as it may, Nawaz Sharif has his eye on securing a legacy beyond this summer’s elections. The deposed Prime Minister has accused the Chief Justice of Pakistan of actively engineering judicial dictatorship; terming it the very worst kind possible. Yet where Nawaz really outdoes himself is in likening his current strife to that faced by the social justice-seeking Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM). Or to the country’s largest television network that was inexplicably removed from screens by hidden hands that left no fingerprints. In short, in his fall from grace the former PMLN supremo is trying to recast himself in the role of everyman. The question is: how does this fit him for size? In the short-term, it appears a little saggy and loose at the seams. After all, Nawaz faces no threats to his very life. Nor is he being gagged. Indeed, the entire PMLN party apparatus has a one-point agenda: pleading his case before a watching and waiting media. This extends to particular federal ministers who, being paid from the public exchequer, have no business serving their former leader on the peoples’ dime. Nevertheless, having nothing to play for suits Nawaz. He knows it is unlikely that the courts will indict him for contempt. As this will simply serve his endgame of political martyrdom. And regardless of whether one supports PMLN policies or not — there is no denying that this is a three-time prime minister who has never once been permitted to fulfil his tenure. Thus he can hardly be blamed for making it personal this time. Yet with the former chief out of the ballots, it is now up to the PMLN, if it survives in its current form, to preserve this fledgling endowment that seeks clear boundaries for all state institutions. Indeed, this is a baton that should be passed on to parties across the political divide. But whatever happens, both the man and the PMLN machine need to stop this constant berating of the CJP over meddling in areas beyond his jurisdiction; such as keeping tabs on the price of vegetables, bus fares or the state of hospitals. For if Nawaz keeps this up, it will only remind everyone that it is the job of government to curb inflation and ensure that the citizenry can afford basic amenities. Far better to take Bilawal Zardari Bhutto’s lead and focus on the 1.8 million cases pending before the country’s courts. After all, the US-based World Justice Project last year ranked Pakistan at 106 among 113 countries in the civil justice bracket. It also found that a 5-10 percent conviction rate is the norm. Bluntly put, the time has come for all those claiming to have Pakistan’s greater interest at heart to pull back from the politics of confrontation. For to do otherwise serves no one. * Published in Daily Times, April 25th 2018.